Hat cleaning and drying machine



June 6 1956 E. w. JOHNSON 2,752,078

HAT CLEANING AND DRYING MACHINE Filed Nov. 23, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I N VEN TOR E. W Johnson 2 ATTORNEY June 26, 1956 E. w. JOHNSON 2,752,078

HAT CLEANING AND DRYING MACHINE Filed Nov. 23, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I N VE N TOR E. W Johnson United States Patent 6 HAT CLEANING AND DRYING MACHINE Emmett W. Johnson, Hot Springs, Ark.

Application November 23, 1954, Serial No. 470,735

7 Claims. (Cl. 223-23) This invention relates to wearing apparel and the laundering or cleaning of the same, more particularly to mens hats of various kinds and to a machine for cleaning the same and for drying them after they have been cleaned. I

The cleaning of hats has been accomplished in various ways, including by hand and with machines. However, the cleaning and the equipment employed in cleaning has been unsatisfactory for various reasons including the imperfect manner and in which it was accomplished, the length of time required, the uneconomical and unsafe use of material and the injury done to the article cleaned, as well as for other reasons.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome the disadvantages above enumerated and to provide simple and inexpensive hat cleaning and drying mechanism, which will economically, efficiently, and satisfactorily clean and dry hats and similar articles, with the expenditure of minimum effort, time and expense.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hat cleaner and drier, including a machine in which the application and removal of the hats can be easily accomplished and the hats can be viewed while they are being cleaned and dried as well as a machine in which the cleaning and drying mechanism is selectively driven from a single source of power such as an electric motor.

A further object of the invention is to provide cleaning and drying equipment in which the fluid may be collected from the hats while they are being cleaned as well as during the drying of the same so that it may be reused.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective illustrating one application of the invention;

Fig. 2, a perspective;

Fig. 3, an end elevation with parts of the cleaning and drying casings removed to reveal the interior; and

Fig. 4, a vertical section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Briefly stated, the invention comprises a supporting frame, a housing for hats to be cleaned, and a second housing in which cleaning fluid is extracted from the hats. Each housing is provided with a window or transparent portion to permit the viewing of the interior during the operation of the machine. The housing in which the hats are cleaned is likewise provided with a hinged cover to afford access thereto and the housing in which the drying action is performed is provided with a pivoted door similarly to afford access to the interior of the same.

In each of the two housings, mechanism is provided for supporting and producing movement of the hats. In the housing where the hats are cleaned a plurality of bat supports are provided, each having clutch means for releasably holding a hat, such clutch means being mounted at the outer ends of a spider with means being provided for producing rotation of the hat as well as to cause travel of the same in a circular path. In the compartment in which hats are dried a similar hat clutching mechanism is provided for producing rotation of the hat, and a fan also is employed for producing circulation of the air over the hat. the hat cleaning compartment and is adapted to contain cleaning fluid so that the hats are caused to travel through the fluid while they are rotating. In the lower portion of the drying compartment a trough is provided having a discharge outlet for directing the discharge of the extracted fluid into a sump or collection receptacle. A single source of power such as an electric motor is mounted on the supporting frame and through a. series of pulleys and belts selectively drives the mechanisms in each of the housings.

With continued reference to the drawings, a supporting frame is provided having a pair of shelf members 10 and 11 mounted on legs 12. At one side of the table is a casing 13 for the cleaning compartment mounted on legs 14 with a cover 15 on hinges 16, such cover being provided with one or more windows 17 of glass or other transparent material to permit the interior of the casing to be viewed.

On the opposite side of the table is mounted a casing 18 in which hats are adapted to be dried, such casing being provided with a pair of doors 19 and 20 with one or more windows 21 similar to the windows 17. Each of the doors is mounted on hinges 22 and is held closed by spring latch members 23.

The bottom of the casing 13 in which the hats are cleaned forms a receptacle for a cleaning fluid 24 as shown in Fig. 3, into and from which the hats or articles to be cleaned are carried. The housing 18 in which the hats are dried is provided with a drainage bottom 25 and an outlet 25 through which fluid extracted from the articles after they have been cleaned may be discharged into a suitable collection receptacle.

In order to support hats or other articles to be cleaned hat holders 26 are provided each having an outwardly extending hat engaging spring pressed clutch member 27 adapted to be retracted by means of manually operable actuating members 28. The hat holders are mounted on horizontal shafts 29, and a spider 30 is provided having three arms in the end portion of one of each of which a shaft 29 is supported being secured in position by one or more lock nuts 31. Mounted on the rear side of each arm of the spider is a gear 32 which meshes with a larger gear 33 mounted on a stub shaft 34 intermediate the ends of the arm 30, and with such gear meshing with a fixed gear 35 in which a driving shaft 36 is mounted to rotate, such shaft being provided with an enlarged head 37 to which the central portion of the spider is connected by means of studs 38. Thus, rotation of the driving shaft 36 produces rotation of the spider and since the gear 35 is fixed, the gear 33 will be caused to rotate and in turn will produce rotation of the gear 32, the shaft 29 and the hat holders. When the spider is rotated in a clockwise direction the hats will be caused to rotate in a reverse direction through the plenetary system described. The shaft 36 is mounted in bearings 39 fixed to the shelf 10.

A motor 40 is provided for driving the mechanism, such motor having slotted feet 41 through which bolts 42 fasten the motor to a supporting base 43 attached to the shelf 11. The motor is provided with a shaft 44 to which is fixed a pulley 45 which, by means of a V-belt 46, drives a larger pulley 47, on a shaft 48, supported in bearings 49, carried by supports 50, in opposite ends of a bracket 51 secured by fasteners 52 to a base 53 also on the shelf 11. The shaft 48 is fixed to and driven by the pulley 47 and has fixed thereon a pulley 54 which, by means of a V-belt 55, drives a pulley 56 fixed to shaft Patented June 26, 1956 A trough is provided in the bottom portion of;

57 mounted in bearings 58 and attached to the shelf 10, which is provided with a slot 59 for the accommodation of the belt 55 and pulley 56. Attached to the shaft 57 remote from the pulley '56 is'a smaller pulley 60 which, by means of a V-belt 61, drives a pulley 62 attachedto the main shaft 36. Thus, power from the motor is employed for rotating the main shaft and the spider with the hat holders thereon through the planetary gearing described.

I Within the housing 18, in which hats are to be dried, is disposed a shaft 63 with a hat clutch (not shown) similar to that of the cleaning compartment provided for forcing air over the hat as it is rotated. The shaft 63 is mounted in bearings 65 (Fig. 1) attached to the shelf 10, and to the shaft 63 is fixed a pulley 66'which, by means of a belt (27, is driven from a pulley on the shaft 44'of' the motor 4-0, such pulley being located on the opposite end of the shaft from the pulley 45. The motor is, therefore, employed for rotating the hats and at the same time, causing them to travel in a circular path through the fluid in the cleaning chamber andto have air blown over them in the drying chamber, it being understoodthat 'a suitable control for clutchingmay be employed so that the device may be driven as desired and individually or simultaneously as preferred.

It will be understood further that the machine of this invention is relatively simple and inexpensive to produce and yet will efficiently perform the functions for which it is designed. Further, it will operate indefinitely due to the fact that the parts are sturdy and without weak features to cause breakdowns.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof and, therefore, the invention is not limited by that which is illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification, but only as indicated in the accompanying claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A hat cleaning and drying machine comprising a supporting structure, housing means for hats to be treated, hat supporting means in said housing means including a fixed gear,'a shaft rotatable in said gear, arms extending substantially at right angles in equally spaced relation from said shaft, a second gear rotatably carried byreach of said arms intermediate the ends thereof and meshing with said first gear whereby when the shaft with the arms thereon is rotated said second gear will also be rotated from said fixed gear, a third gear carriedon the outer end of each of said arms and engaging said second gear to be rotated thereby, a hat support connected to each'of said third gears, said housing means including a receptacle for holding cleaning fluid located so that hats carried by said support will be caused to rotate and while rotating be carried into and from said receptacle, and a motor connected to drive said first shaft gearing and hat supports.

2. A hat cleaning and drying machine comprising a frame, a pair of housings for hats to be treated, windows in said housings through which. the interior may be viewed, shafts extending into said housings, a motor connected to selectively drive said shafts, a planetary gearing system in one of said housings including hat supports adapted to be driven in a manner to produce simultaneous rotation and rotary travel'thereof, a hat support on the shaft in the other housing, and fan means for producing circulation of air over a hat on said support.

3. In a hat cleaning and drying machine a fixed gear, a shaft rotatable in said gear, arms extending substantially at right angles in equally spaced relation from said shaft, a second gear rotatably carried by each of said arms intermediate the ends thereof and meshing with said first gear whereby when the shaft with the arms thereon is rotated said second gear will also be rotated from said fixed gear, a third gear carried on the outer end of each of said arms and engaging said second gear to be rorated thereby, a hat support connected to each of said third gears, a receptacle for holding'cleaning fluid located so that hats carried by said support will be caused to rotate and-while'rotating be carried into and from said receptacle, and a motor connectedto drive said first shaft gearing and hat supports.

4. A hat cleaning machine comprising a planetary gearing means for supporting and producing simultaneous circular travel and rotation of'hats to be cleaned, a housing for said gearing'including a container for holding cleaning fluid in a manner that the hat will be carried thereinto and from such container, and means whereby powermay be supplied for driving said machine.

5. In a hat cleaning and drying machine the combination of driving shaft means, a motor'for driving the same, change speed gearing between said shaft means and said motor, means for supporting hats to be treated in spaced relation to said driving shaft means and in a manner to be driven thereby including planetary gearing of a character to produce simultaneous circular travel and I0- tation.

6. A method for cleaning hats comprising the mounting of a hat on a rotatable member which in turn is supported on a movable arm, moving said arm through a receptacle of cleaning fluid and rotating said member simultaneously in order that the major portion of the material in the hat will at times be supported substantially transverse to the path of the hat through the cleaning fluid.

7. A method of cleaning hats comprising moving a hat through a body of cleaning fluid and simultaneously rotating the hat so that the major portion of the hat will at times be supported substantially transverse to the path of movement of said hat through the cleaningfluid.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES'PATENTS 1,893,844 Raus Ian. 10, 1933 

